A novel ${eta}-glucosidase$ gene, bglA, was isolated from uncultured soil bacteria and characterized. Using genomic libraries constructed from soil DNA, a gene encoding a protein that hydrolyzes a fluorogenic analog of cellulose, 4-methylumbelliferyl ${eta}-D-cellobioside$ (MUC), was isolated using a microtiter plate assay. The gene, bglA, was sequenced using a shotgun approach, and expressed in E. coli. The deduced 55-kDa amino acid sequence for bglA showed a 56% identity with the family 1 glycosyl hydrolase Chloroflexus aurantiacus. BglA included two conserved family 1 glycosyl hydrolase regions. When using $p-nitrophenyl-{eta}-D-glucoside$ (pNPG) as the substrate, the maximum activity of the purified ${eta}-glucosidase$ exhibited at pH 6.5 and $55^{circ}C$, and was enhanced in the presence of $Mn^{2+}$. The $K_m;and;V_{max}$ values for the purified enzyme with pNPG were 0.16 mM and $19.10{mu}mol/min$, respectively. The purified BglA enzyme hydrolyzed both pNPG and $p-nitrophenyl-{eta}-D-fucoside$. The enzyme also exhibited substantial glycosyl hydrolase activities with natural glycosyl substrates, such as sophorose, cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, and cellopentaose, yet low hydrolytic activities with gentiobiose, salicin, and arbutin. Moreover, BglA was able to convert the major ginsenoside $Rb_1$ into the pharmaceutically active minor ginsenoside Rd within 24 h.